Test-clip.



ANDRE?? TOPKXNS LUTHER .15.1111) CHARLES HENRY L'EHEB, 0E

RHGDE SLND.

TEST-CEE?,

essere.

Spccincaton or letters atent.

Patented 2%, tgl@ Application filed pril le, 19de. 'Serieel o.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW 'll lin'riinn and CHARLES fil. LUTHER, citizens or" the United States, residing at ZPrOVidenCe, in the county of -ilrovidence State ot' Rhode island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Test-Clips, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention has reference to an improvement in fasteners and more particularly to an improvement in test clips used in telephone equipments, such as test sets, tor testing electrical `lines or circuits.

Test clips are generally used for obtaining-an electrical connection between insulated wire to be tested and the test set cord. As heretofore usually constructed, the operator is generally obliged to remove the insulation trom the wire to tasten the clip onto the wire so as to form an electrical connection between the clip and the wire. rlhis removing the insulation trom the wire requires time and is detrimental to the lite and operation of the wire. linie and skill also are required i'or recovering the wire where the insulation has been removed, which cannot be done by hand the same as the original insulation, thereby causing liability of trouble on the line from defective insulation.

The object lo" our invention is to improve the construction ot' a test clip tor telephone lines or circuits whereby the clip may be secured to an insulated electric wire and electrically connected to the wire without removing, destroying or materially the insulation on the wire.

fr further object ot our invention is to construct a test clip so that the clip may be mechanically and electrically secured to either an insulated wire or a binding post or other electrical connections.

Aernother object of our invention is to facilitate the operation of the clip, whereby the clip may be secured and electrically connected to either an insulated n post without changing the position ot the clip in the hand.

Another object et our invention is to construct a test clip so that the only to wear or breakage may he oli-richly renewed at a noini prolongincJ th lite the c iig e ur ii on consists in i injuring the end et a binding post shown in broken novel construction of a test clip having a traine, rigid jaw on the frame, a slide on the traine, a-needle carried by the slide in alineinent with the rigid jaw, a clamping jaw pivotally secured to the trame, means for reciprocally supporting the slide on the trame, nie-ans for detachably securing the needle to the slid-e, means ior holding the slide in the forward position under spring tension, nieans for holding the clamping jaw inthe closed position under spring tension and details of construction as will be more fully set toi-th hereinafter and claimed.

Figure i is a top plan view of our iml proved test clip with the slide in the normal position. Fig. 2 is a side view orp the clip showing the slide in the normal position and the clam-ping jaw in the closed position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3, 3 of Fig. l through the clip, showing the clip mechanically and electrically connected to an insulated wire, shown in cross section, the clamping jaw in the closed position in ull lines and in the position it would assume in clamping the cli-p to a binding Jpost, in broken lines. Fig. et is an enlarged forward end view of the clip with the clamping jaw in an open posi` tion, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the clip taken on line 5, 5 et Fig. 2'.

ln the drawings, a indicates the traine of our improved test clip, b the slide, c the needle, ci the clamping jaw,c a test cord shown in broken lines, an insulated electric wire shown in cross sections in the clip and g lines, to illustrate the adaptability oi our invention.

Vllhe traine c is constructed preferably of sheet nietal shaped to have an upwardly bent shape rigid jaw t3 on its forward end` or binding 3 i. .in i "tr-t haute i the downwardly bent teeth v7 at the base ot' the jaw G, the adjacent downwardly bent side ears 8, 8, a semi-tubular rear end 9, by which the clip is secured to a test cord e by solder or other means, a central upwardly bent transverse l0, adjacent the ears 8, 8, having a cent1 il hole i'or the needle c, a entrai upwardly bent transverse ear and having a central the hole in the ear wn in 3.

having a fiat-head 13, adapted to slide on the top of the frame /1 between the ears 10 and 11, a transverse hole 11i, in the shank of the screw for the needle c, an internal screw-threaded collar 15, and a knurled nut 16.

The needle c has a round shank 17, and a pointed end 18, and is removably secured to the slide b, by inserting the needle through the holes in the ears 11 and 10, and the hole 14 in the slide, into a predetermined position, screwing the collar'15 down on the screw 12, onto the needle and screwing the nut 16, down on the screw 12, onto the collar 15. A coiled spring 19 is placed on the needle intermediate the slide B and the ear 11, and acts on the slide to hold the slide in its forward position under spring tension.

The clamping jaw d is constructed preferably of sheet metal and has the teeth 2O on its forward end, the upwardly bent side ears 21, 21, adjacent the center of the jaw and a rearwardly extending arm 22 for opening the jaw, which is pivotally secured to the ears 8, 8, by a pin 23, which extends through holes in the ears 8, 8, and 21, 21, and is riveted at each end to the ears 8, 8. A comparatively heavy coiled spring 24 surrounds the pin 23, one end of the spring bearing on the bottom of the frame a and the opposite end of the spring bearing on the inside of the arm 22, of the jaw Z whereby the jaw is held in the closed position under spring tension, with the teeth 2G on the jaw d overlapping the teeth 7 on the frame a, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

When assembled the pointed end l18 of the needle c is always in alinement with the center of the V shapejaw 6 of the clip and the end 9 of the clip is electrically connected to the test cord c, (shown in broken lines in Fig. 3) which is electrically connected to the test 4set not shown. rlfhe V shape jaw 6 is shaped to receive diiferent size wires and to automatically center the wires relative to the point'of the needle o.

In the operation of our improved test clip an insulated wirev is tested by moving the slide L back against the tension of the spring 19, hooking the V shape jaw 6 over the wire and forcing the slide Z) forward, thereby forcing the pointed end 18 of the needle o through the insulation on the wire and into the wire suiiiciently to form an electrical contact with the wire, as shown in full lines in Fi 8. The current now passes from the wire through the needle 0, thc frame a and the test cord e to the test set, or if a binding post or similar electrical' connection requires testing the clamping jaw i is opened and the clip secured to the connection by clamping the connection between the teeth 7, on the frame a and the teeth 20, on the clampj'aw as shown broken lines in 3.

The test clip is so constructed and designed that when properly held in the hand,

the thumb will operate the slide (i and the index finger the clamping jaw (I (while the end i) prevents the clip slipping in the hand.) without changing the position of the clip in the hand, thereby facilitating the opera- ,tion of securing the clip either to an insulated wire or to a binding post or other electrical connections.

lt is evident that the construction of our improved test clip may be varied without materially affecting the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. in a test clip, a frame, a slide reciprocally supported on the frame, means on the frame for reciprocally supporting' the slide a detachable piercing member' carried by the slide and adapted to pierce the insulation on an insulated wire and electrically connect the wire to the test clip, and a jaw on the frame adaptedjto `automatically center the wire relative tothe piercing member.

2. ln a test clip, a frame, a slide reciprocally supported on the frame, a piercing member carried by the slide and adapted to pierce the insulation on an insulated wire and electrically connect the wire with the test clip, a aw on the frame adapted to automatically center the wire relative to the piercing member and means for removably securing the piercing member to the slide.

3. In a test clip, a frame, a slide recipro cally supported on the frame, a piercing member carried by the slide, and adapted to pierce the insulation on an insulated wire and electrically connect the wire with the test. clip, a jaw on the frame adapted to automatically center the wire relative to the piercing member, means for removably securing the piercing member to the slide and means for holding the slide in its normal forward position under spring tension.

4. ln a test clip, the combination of a frame, a slide reciprocally supported on the frame, a detachable piercing member carried by the slide, a fixed jaw on the frame in alinement with the piercing member, a toothed jaw formed integral with the frame and a clamping jaw pivotally secured to the frame in a position to coact with the toothed jaw and means for holding the clamping jaw in the closed position under spring tension.

5. ln a test clip, the combination of a frame, a slide reciprocally supported on the frame, a piercing member carried by the slide, a fixed jaw on the frame in alinement with the piercin' member, teeth on the frame at the base of the fixed jaw and formed integral with the frame and a clamping jaw having teeth, means for pivotally securing the clamping jaw 'to the frame in a. position for the teeth on the clamping jaw to coincide llO with the teeth on the frame and means for holding the clamping jaw in the Closed position under spring tension.

6. ln a test clip, the combination of the following instrumentalities, a frame shaped to have an upwardly bent V shaped jaw on its forward end, downwardly bent teeth at the base of the jaw, adjacent downwardly bent side ears, a semi-tubulan` rear end, two central upwardly lient transverse ears on the top, each ear having a central hole, a slide consisting of `a screw having a dat head adapted to slide on the top of the frame and a transverse hole in the shank of the screw, a screw-threaded collar on the screw and a lnurled nut on the screw, a needle having a round shank and a pointed end removably secured to the slide, through the hole in the screw shank, by the collar and nut and slidably secured to the frame by passing the tending arm, mea-ns for holding the slide 25 with the needle in its forward position undei'l spring tension, means for pivotally securing the ears on the clamping jaw to the downwardly bent ears on the frame and means foi' holding the clamping jaw in the 30 closed positions under spring tension.

ln testimony whereof, we have signed our names tothis specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW? TMPKENS LUTHER. CHAR-LES IENRY LUTHER.

VJitnesses:

A. V. PETTINE, JULIA RICCI. 

